NATO not informed by Moscow: Scholz sees no problem in parallel maneuvers

NATO not informed by Moscow
Scholz sees no problem in parallel maneuvers

NATO will be exercising in the Baltic Sea in the coming days. And Russia is also testing its navy in the sea. Apparently, Moscow has not announced its intention. NATO and Chancellor Scholz are emphatically unimpressed.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not expect the situation to deteriorate any further as a result of the simultaneous large-scale maneuvers by NATO and Russia. He doesn’t have that fear. “It is handled very responsibly by our forces,” he said during a visit to the frigate “Mecklenburg-Vorpommern” in Warnemünde. Addressing Russia, the SPD politician also said: “Of course, it is also a sign that we are sending with the maneuver, the exercise – namely that we have the strength to organize the defense of the alliance and the country. And that is what is understood.”

The Russian Baltic Fleet had previously announced that an exercise involving 40 ships, 25 combat aircraft and 3,500 soldiers had begun. It takes place at the same time as the annual Baltops naval maneuvers, led by the USA, in which 50 ships and boats from 19 NATO countries and Sweden take part – including the “Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania”.

Königsberger Klopse on the frigate for Chancellor Scholz.

(Photo: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Meanwhile, NATO said it had not been informed by Moscow about the Russian maneuver. “We have not been informed about the maneuver from the Russian side,” said the commander of the naval forces of the NATO rapid reaction force, Flotilla Admiral Thorsten Marx, on the frigate “Mecklenburg Vorpommern”.

Russia avoids misunderstandings

However, he emphasized that NATO was not surprised by this. “Of course, we have a very clear idea of ​​what actions might lead to maneuver activities.” The observations of the past few weeks and months would have indicated that the maneuver was taking place.

Marx does not currently expect any provocations or incidents with the Russian fleet. “The Baltic Sea is big enough. We are non-confrontational and very transparent. We adhere to international rules and norms. And we expect the same from the Russian side,” said the admiral. “At the moment we are seeing a visible effort on the Russian side not to leave any room for misunderstandings. But that doesn’t mean that it has to be the same tomorrow. That’s why this association is always ready for action and ready to defend itself.”

From the frigate, Scholz was shown the capabilities of the Navy for the first time. He was “very impressed with the performance, with the hard work that we have seen here,” he said afterwards. He will do everything to ensure that the Navy is also well equipped. The chancellor reiterated the promise to permanently spend two percent of gross domestic product on defense.

“We have decided to do this permanently, because the time will come when the 100 billion will be spent, which we want to do as quickly as possible. Then we will have to generate the 2 percent NATO target from the normal budget “Said Scholz during his visit to the Baltic Sea coast. “That is the will of the federal government that I lead.” Last year, Germany spent around 1.5 percent of GDP on defense, and a quota of 1.6 percent is planned for this year.

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